Short answer: Chicago is one of the safest US cities to spend IHG points. In our live check on Sunday November 1, 2026, the typical Chicago night was worth $60.24 per 10,000 points, and none of the 295 nights we priced came out as a pay cash night. The best value was in the city centre: InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile ($73.28 per 10,000 points), voco Chicago Downtown - Riverwalk ($72.09) and Kimpton Gray Hotel ($70.56).
If you want the cheapest night instead, look at the suburbs. A typical suburban night cost 23,000 points, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West-Roselle went as low as 15,000 points.
How we ranked
We searched Chicago on IHG Points Finder for six single nights: Friday November 20, Wednesday December 2, Saturday December 5 and Wednesday December 9 2026, plus Saturday January 16 and Tuesday January 26 2027. That gave 295 nights at 51 hotels with both a points price and a cash price. For each hotel we took the median value per 10,000 points across its nights (cash divided by points, times 10,000). IHG Points Finder calls a night a good use of points from $55.90, a strong one from $67, and says pay cash below $44.70.
Across Chicago, 82% of nights were a good use of points, 18% were either way and 0% were pay cash. A typical night cost 24,000 points or $147.90, and half of all nights fell between 21,000 and 31,000 points.
Best IHG hotels in Chicago for points
| Rank | Hotel | Median points | Median cash | Value per 10,000 points | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago Schaumburg | 21,000 | $150.49 | $73.37 | 5 |
| 2 | InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile | 53,000 | $367.16 | $73.28 | 6 |
| 3 | voco Chicago Downtown - Riverwalk | 44,000 | $309.29 | $72.09 | 6 |
| 4 | Kimpton Gray Hotel | 79,000 | $542.49 | $70.56 | 5 |
| 5 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago - Oak Forest | 21,000 | $144.50 | $68.03 | 6 |
| 6 | Holiday Inn Chicago Dwtn - The Mart | 38,500 | $287.84 | $67.82 | 6 |
| 7 | Holiday Inn Chicago - Midway Airport S | 23,000 | $148.86 | $65.78 | 6 |
| 8 | Crowne Plaza Chicago West Loop | 37,000 | $245.09 | $65.24 | 6 |
| 9 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago O'Hare Airport | 27,000 | $183.84 | $64.92 | 5 |
| 10 | Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown | 36,000 | $209.41 | $63.96 | 6 |
Every hotel in the table had at least five priced nights. The lowest ranked of all 51 hotels, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago North Shore - Niles, still came in at $53.38, just under the good use line.
Downtown vs suburbs
The seven hotels within 3 km of the city centre gave a median $67.49 per 10,000 points over 39 nights, at a typical 40,000 points a night. The 44 hotels further out gave $59.75 at a typical 23,000 points.
So downtown costs more points but returns more cash value per point. If you have the points and want the Magnificent Mile or the Loop, Chicago is a good place to use them. If you want to stretch a small balance, the suburban Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn hotels near O'Hare, Midway, Schaumburg and Oak Brook gave around $60 per 10,000 points from about 19,000 to 25,000 points a night.
Weekday vs weekend in Chicago
Chicago barely changed between weekdays and weekends in this check. Friday and Saturday nights had a median $60.24 per 10,000 points at 25,000 points. Tuesday and Wednesday nights had $60.22 at 23,000 points. Comparing the same 44 hotels on Wednesday December 2 and Saturday December 5, half charged more points on the Saturday, and the median value moved from $59.19 to $58.00.
The best night of the six was Friday November 20, at a median $64.11 per 10,000 points. For more on how this compares with other cities, see IHG points weekday vs weekend.
Same hotel, different nights
Points prices at the big downtown hotels moved a lot. Crowne Plaza Chicago Ohare Hotel & Conf Ctr ranged from 23,000 to 86,000 points across the six nights. Kimpton Gray Hotel ranged from 37,000 to 100,000 points, and InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile from 33,000 to 89,000. The value per point held up better than the price, but the same room can cost more than twice as many points a few weeks apart, so it pays to check several dates.
Cheapest IHG nights in Chicago
| Night | Hotel | Points | Cash | Value per 10,000 points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Jan 26, 2027 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West-Roselle | 15,000 | $88.31 | $58.87 |
| Wed Dec 9, 2026 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West-Roselle | 16,000 | $92.57 | $57.86 |
| Tue Jan 26, 2027 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago-Deerfield/Lincolnshire | 17,000 | $100.18 | $58.93 |
| Wed Dec 2, 2026 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West-Roselle | 17,000 | $92.57 | $54.45 |
| Sat Dec 5, 2026 | Holiday Inn Express Chicago-Downers Grove | 17,000 | $91.10 | $53.59 |
| Tue Jan 26, 2027 | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago Schaumburg | 18,000 | $139.56 | $77.53 |
By brand
| Brand | Hotels | Nights | Median value per 10,000 points | Median points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InterContinental | 1 | 6 | $73.28 | 53,000 |
| voco | 1 | 6 | $72.09 | 44,000 |
| Kimpton | 1 | 5 | $70.56 | 79,000 |
| EVEN Hotel | 1 | 6 | $62.67 | 29,000 |
| Holiday Inn | 8 | 46 | $61.42 | 23,000 |
| Crowne Plaza | 4 | 24 | $60.16 | 25,500 |
| Staybridge Suites | 5 | 29 | $59.95 | 26,000 |
| Holiday Inn Express | 5 | 28 | $59.65 | 20,000 |
| Holiday Inn Express & Suites | 18 | 103 | $58.76 | 24,000 |
| Hotel Indigo | 2 | 12 | $58.47 | 32,000 |
Tips for Chicago with IHG points
- Downtown luxury is where Chicago points shine. The three top downtown hotels all gave over $70 per 10,000 points at the median.
- Check several dates for downtown stays. The biggest swing we saw, 3.7 times in points across our six nights, was at Crowne Plaza O'Hare near the airport. Downtown hotels topped out at about 2.7 times.
- For a cheap night, the west and north suburbs often price under 20,000 points.
- Weekends were not a penalty in Chicago in this check, unlike some leisure cities.
- Compare up to 3 cities side by side on IHG Points Finder if Chicago is one of several options.
Quick answers
What is the best IHG hotel in Chicago for points?
In our November 1, 2026 check, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago Schaumburg ($73.37 per 10,000 points) and InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile ($73.28) were the top two. The InterContinental is the best downtown pick.
How many IHG points is a night in Chicago?
The median was 24,000 points across 51 hotels and six nights. The cheapest was 15,000 points at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Chicago West-Roselle on Tuesday January 26, 2027.
Is Chicago a good city for IHG points?
Yes. None of the 295 nights we priced was a pay cash night, and on Wednesday December 2 and Saturday December 5 Chicago ranked 12th of 45 cities with a median $58.86, against $56.93 for all of them.
Are Chicago weekends more expensive in points?
Not much. Weekend nights had a median 25,000 points and weekday nights 23,000, with almost identical value per point.
Related guides
- IHG points value by city
- How many IHG points for a free night
- IHG points weekday vs weekend
- Best IHG hotels for points in New York
- Best InterContinental hotels for points
- IHG points calculator
- Check your own dates on IHG Points Finder
Data note: IHG Points Finder live search for Chicago (the search covers the wider metro area, including suburbs up to about 48 km from the centre and a few hotels across the Indiana line) for six single nights, requested on Sunday November 1, 2026 between 10:10 and 10:17 Dublin time. 295 hotel nights at 51 hotels had both a points and a cash price. Values are medians per hotel. Downtown means within 3 km of the search centre. The city comparison uses Wednesday December 2 and Saturday December 5 only, cities with at least 10 priced nights, and leaves out Doha, Dubai and Taipei. Cash is the USD rate IHG Points Finder saw and may not include every tax or fee. Prices change daily. IHG Points Finder is independent and not affiliated with IHG.